AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd allegedly tried to have two men killed, reports Tony Wall of Stuff.

He appeared in the Tauranga District Court in New Zealand this afternoon, charged with attempting to procure a murder.

Rudd, 60, dressed in jeans and a grey sweater, said nothing during his short stint in the dock of the court, before being released on bail. He entered no plea to the charges and will reappear in court in three weeks. Photos can be seen at this location.

Rudd had been in custody since 7am when his house was raided by police. In releasing Rudd on bail, the Judge ordered that he should have no contact with the man he allegedly tried to hire to carry out the murder.

According to the charges laid by police, Rudd had tried to get two men killed - their names and that of the intended hitman were all suppressed by the judge.

Rudd's arrest comes after police raided the drummer's home on the Tauranga waterfront at Matua this morning. He is also charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and threatening to kill.

Legal controversy aside, Columbia Records has announced the North American release of AC/DC's new album Rock Or Bust, available December 2nd. It will be released in the band's homeland, Australia, on November 28th. However, the first new promotional band photo (seen below) for the forthcoming Rock Or Bust album is missing a band member - drummer Phil Rudd.

AC/DC shot videos for their new songs, "Play Ball" and "Rock Or Bust", on October 3rd and 4th at Black Island Studios in Middlesex, England. Drummer Phil Rudd was called away at the last minute and was unable to attend the video shoots. He was replaced by Bob Richards (Shogun, Adrian Smith Band).

A full report from the shoot, from Bob Fiddaman, can be found at this location.

Rock Or Bust is the band’s first studio album in six years and features 11 new tracks. Rock Or Bust follows the immensely successful Black Ice album, which debuted at #1 in 31 countries upon its release in 2008 and has gone on to sell nearly 8 million copies worldwide. Rock Or Bust was recorded in spring 2014 at Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, BC and finds AC/DC once again working with producer Brendan O’Brien and mixer Mike Fraser.

Rock Or Bust tracklisting:

"Play Ball"
"Sign Of The Times"
"Ain't The Way"
"Rock Or Bust"
"Done Her Good"
"Steal My Meal"
"Watching Games"
"Cardhouse Blues"
"Bulletride"
"Rumble"
"Back In The Zone"
"Play Ball":

Rock Or Bust is the first AC/DC album in the band’s 41 year history without founding member Malcolm Young on the recordings.

On September 26th, Yahoo.com reported that Malcolm Young, one of the founding members of veteran Australian rockers AC/DC, has dementia and is being treated in an aged care facility in Sydney. According to a family statement released via People.com those reports are true:

"Malcolm is suffering from dementia and the family thanks you for respecting their privacy."

Young, 61, suffered a stroke last year while the Sydney Morning Herald reported that he has dementia and was now a full-time patient at an exclusive Sydney care home.

"If you were in the room with (Young) and walked out then came back in one minute later he wouldn't remember who you are," the Herald's veteran music writer Bernard Zuel cited a Young "family connection" as saying.

"He has a complete loss of short-term memory. His wife Linda has put him in full-time care."

AC/DC will undertake a world tour in support of Rock Or Bust in 2015. Stevie Young, nephew of founding members Angus and Malcolm Young, plays rhythm guitar on Rock Or Bust and will accompany the band on tour.